At Garnet and Great, we occasionally like to track down a former player who, despite strong potential, didn't achieve what was expected. Let's call it Garnet and could've been Great. D'Vontrey Richardson (2006-2008) might be the poster boy for that title. He fit the Charlie Ward mold in size and dual-threat talent, as well as growing up in the fertile football fields of South Georgia. As a Seminole, D'Vo showed flashes of promise in limited action, like the one in this video (at 20 minutes in). He enters the 2008 game against Georgia Tech late in the 4th quarter and throws a TD strike to keep FSU close. But those moments were few and far between. Not so in baseball, where he batted .333 in 97 games during 2007 and '09. Entering the MLB draft in 2009, Richardson is moving up in the Milwaukee Brewers system and currently plays for the Huntsville Stars of the Southern League. Before a game this summer we interviewed him about his time at FSU, any regrets, and how he's changed since coming to Tallahassee as a bluechip QB phenom. [Correction to audio interview: Richardson was ranked #10 in Georgia by Rivals in 2006.]

“From an individual perspective, my freshman year we were playing against Florida in a big rival game at the end of the year. We were in the locker room and I was starting that game because Greg Jones got hurt. Bobby Bowden was like ‘We need you to get it done tonight, and if you don’t, we’ll need to pull Lorenzo Booker out of his redshirt.’ That motivated me to have a great game.”(From ESPN's Boston blog)

As the Noles travel to Boston with all the oddsmakers on their side, it's good to remember that upsets do happen in this series. In 2007 Boston College was undefeated, no. 2 in the country and heavily favored against a 5 and 3 Florida State team. Even the weather was against the Noles on a chilly, wet night in November.

But Drew Weatherford, playing perhaps his best game as a Nole, engineered a 27-17 upset. Weatherford completed 29 of 45 for 354 yards, Preston Parker hauled in nine catches for 93 yards and a TD, while De'Cody Fagg caught six for 111 yards and a TD.

Matt Ryan, who later would be third overall pick in the NFL draft, threw three interceptions on the night. FSU sealed the deal when Geno Hayes swiped a Ryan pass with 1:10 to play, running it in for a 38-yard score.

Ryan's poor performance was widely believed to have lost him the Heisman Trophy that year. Today, he's one of the NFL's hottest signal callers. And Weatherford? He left football for the business world after a few seasons in the Arena Leauge. But on a nasty night in New England, it was Drew who looked like the QB that NFL scouts were drooling oveer.

After a nine-year run in Jacksonville (technically eight because of missing the 2006 season due to injury) and earning a reputation as one of the NFL's top fullbacks, Greg Jones is trading Jaguar teal for Houston's horns. While he's staying in the AFC South, Jones is leaving behind the rebuilding Jags (2-14 in 2012) for a Texans team that made the playoffs the past few years and is considered a contender for the AFC title.

Jones is one of the toughest runners in Florida State history, racking up 2,535 yards and 30 touchdowns from 2000-03. He's sixth on FSU's all-time rushing list, just four yards behind No. 5 Sammie Smith.

He ran for 938 yards in 2002, and was well on his way to a 1,000-yard season before injuring his knee in a game against Wake Forest (there were four more regular-season games plus a bowl game left, so you can only imagine how many yards Jones might have accumulated). Prior to the injury he was averaging an amazing 5.8 yards per carry.

Garnet & Great caught up with Jones a few days before reporting to the Texans' camp.

How are things going in Houston so far?

JONES: "The transition to Houston is going good. They needed a fullback. I felt I could contribute a lot. ... Being in the same division, I see how the offense works, how they use the fullback. The past couple years they made it to the playoffs, and to me I always thought they were on the verge. And help them make that next step and go to the Super Bowl."

Did you want to re-sign with Jacksonville or were you looking elsewhere, too?

JONES: "Jacksonville wanted me to re-sign. It was an option but at the end of the day I was ready to move on. It was time for me to leave. The direction that they were going in, it was going to take them a long time to get where Houston is right now. It was time for me to leave and that’s how I made my decision."

Take us back to that 2002 season. You were running so well and then the injury happened.

Whatever Nole fans think about Greg Carr, they probably don't think of him as one of Florida State's greatest receivers. But stats don't lie. And Carr's numbers put him up there with the Noles all-time best.

• Only Peter Warrick has caught more Seminole touchdowns than Carr (29).

• He's ﻿﻿tied with Warrick and Ron Sellers for 4th in all time Season TD Catches (12).

• He's fifth in all time Career Receptions with 148.

• He's fifth in Career receiving yards (2574)

At 6'6" the guy made it look easy, leaping over smaller DBs like they were Pop Warner kids. Yet Carr had more going for him than just being a jump ball artist. That was his role under Jeff Bowden. But when Jimbo Fisher became offensive coordinator, Greg learned to run better routes and become a more complete receiver.

Signed as a free agent by San Diego in 2009, Carr made it all the way to the final cutdown. But in 2010, he found a good fit with Winnipeg of the Canadian League. Joining the team in mid-season, he scorched opponents with 31 receptions for 568 yards and four TDs in only seven games.

Now Carr is out to prove he can once again dominate DBs, putting up numbers that will make NFL teams take notice and dial his agent's number.

We spoke to him about his ambitions and his FSU career during Winnipeg's pre-season camp.

How's the transition going from American football to the Canadian game?

Carr: "I'm still learning. Instead of being stationary like in the states, I'm able to move back and forth. Here, I'm more of an X motion receiver who can move up and down the line, so that adjustment wasn't too bad."

Are they using you like FSU did in a lot of jump ball situations?

Carr: "I'd say it's more of a variety of things. There's more to it than just the jump ball because there are more things you can do in the Canadian game."

How do you think you've grown as a receiver in your CFL career?

Carr: "I think I've grown a lot. I've gotten accustomed to the game, what you can and can not do. But I've still got a lot of things I can improve at. So it's an exciting time for me. I just want to continue and get better."

What did you do during the off season?

Carr: "I was actually in Tallahassee working out, and spending time with my family."

When you think of your playing days at FSU, what game comes to mind first?

Carr: I would have to say winning an ACC Championship my freshman year. That was a big game. But I just remember everything -- my teammates and just that whole environment then being at Florida State. My biggest memory would probably be my first touchdown, and with my Mom there. That was an exciting experience for me and my family.

Wherever and whenever you saw Bobby Bowden on gameday you also saw the imposing figure of Major Billy Smith. The 78-year old Alabama native retired from the Florida Highway Patrol in 1985, but continued to provide personal security for Bowden every season since. And it looks like he'll be back to shadow Jimbo Fisher this fall -- the fifth Florida State coach he's been proud to serve. In fact, nobody has been a part of FSU Football longer than Major Smith.

Here's what he shared with us about his 500-plus games on the Seminole sidelines.

Major, will you be back in the 2010 season to provide security for Jimbo?"That's a pretty accurate statement. We've still gotta talk a little bit more, but I think it's going to happen. We're going to meet again on the 25th, I believe it is. But we get along fine together. He's a good guy. He's a lot different than Coach Bowden. He's much more aggressive. He's a great motivator and an excellent recruiter. Coach Bowden was good for the program and Jimbo's going to be good for the program."

You retired in 1985 but are still a full-fledged Florida State Trooper on game days?"The legislature passed a law that created a reserve program that allows me and a Captain that travels with the University of Florida...we're both in reserve and that way we can keep doing what we've been doing for years. But the only thing I do is with the football team during football season. I've been with four coaches and it's worked out pretty well. I started in 1964 with Bill Peterson."

Do you recall a situation where you thought there might be a threat to Coach Bowden?"This goes several years back, but we got a letter postmarked Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The guy indicated pretty strongly that he lost a lot of money on the game the week before and in the next out-of-town game he was going to kill Coach Bowden. Well, our next game was against South Carolina up there. Of course, I called their state director of law enforcement and director of their highway patrol. I told them what we knew. They provided plain clothes guys on the sidelines...

Chris reflects back on key games during his FSU career, including a huge win in "The Swamp."
He tells us what his biggest regret was. And when asked what was the dirtiest team he played against, Chris doesn't hold back. Crank up your speakers for more insights and candid answers from the guy believed to be FSU's only four-year starting QB.

On January 1, 2005, Chris Rix took off his FSU uniform for the last time. Eighteen months later, Seminole fans are still talking about him. So we thought it was time to hear what Chris has to say. We sat down with him in the heart of the O.C. (trendy Newport Beach, California) where he makes his home with wife, Anita.

In Part I, Chris tells us how he got to Florida State, about his relationship with Chris Weinke, and the challenge of adjusting to a new Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach in 2001 — just when he was rushed into the starter's role (thanks to the sudden departure of Jared Jones).

Doak Weather

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